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 KOR/KOREA
This will be the ninth Olympic
appearance for Korea who boast a squad of petite but
fast and forceful players. The best of the girls’
eight most recent performances was a bronze medal
finish at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Other
medals won, all bronzes, are two in the World
Championships (1967, 1974) and two in the World Cup
(1973, 1977). But following a sixth place finish at
the 2002 World Championship in Germany the Korean
national women’s Volleyball team underwent a massive
shake up in their ranks with a concentration on
youth for 2003 and the benefits were seen
immediately with an impressive performance at the
World Grand Prix tournament.
Their
sixth place finish was encouraging, despite failing
to win a match in the Final Round. It was in pool
play where they showed some exciting potential,
topping Pool B with four wins from five, including
defeats over Russia and Brazil, with their only loss
against eventual winners China. They continued more
of that exciting form when they finished third at
the Asian Continental Championship to claim a World
Cup qualifying spot with China due to World Cup
hosts Japan finishing second.
Speed and fighting spirit are the traditionally
qualities of Korea and although their much taller
opponents take a psychological advantage into each
match due to Korea’s lack of height (their tallest
player by 5 cm being Se-Young Kim at 190 cm), it’s a
spirited defense and a special determination which
sees Korea compete at the highest level.
Although Korea, currently ranked eighth in the
world, has scaled the heights of a bronze medal in
Montreal, their more recent results have tended to
wane, especially at the 2003 World Cup where they
finished ninth.
Coach Kim Cheol-Yong and playmakers such as Sa-Nee
Kim and their most experienced player with over 200
caps Kwang- Hee Choi (the best scorer at the Asian
Continental Championship) will be looked upon to
lead Korea through the initial stages of the Olympic
Games. Setter Sa-Nee has been inspirational in the
past providing quality sets while Kwang-Hee is
Korea’s most potent weapon on attack.
Life will be tough for Korea but they have the
history and pedigree to be a force in the Olympic
Games. |
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Scorers